While I was wholly taken up with Agamemnon, I did not observe how Ascyltos had given me the slip, and as I continu’d my diligence, a great crowd of scholars fill’d the portico, to hear, (as it appear’d afterwards) an extemporary declamation, of I know not whom, that was discanting on what Agamemnon had said; while therefore they ridicul’d his advice, and condemn’d the order of the whole, I took an opportunity of getting from them, and ran in quest of Ascyltos:  But the hurry I was in, with my ignorance where our inn lay, so distracted me, that what way soever I went, I return’d by the same, till tir’d in the pursuit, and all in a sweat, I met an old herb-woman:  And, “I beseech ye, mother,” quoth I, “do you know whereabouts I dwell?” Pleas’d with the simplicity of such a home-bred jest, “Why should I not?” answer’d she; and getting on her feet went on before me:  I thought her no less than a witch:  but, having led me into a bye lane, she threw off her pyebal’d patch’t-mantle, and “here,” quoth she, “you can’t want a lodging.”

While I was denying I knew the house, I observ’d a company of beaux reading the bills o’er the cells, on which was inscrib’d the name of the whore and her price; and others of the same function naked, scuttling it here and there, as if they would not, yet would be seen:  When too late I found my self in a bawdy-house, cursing the jade that had trapan’d me thither, I cover’d my head and was just making off through the midst of them, when in the very entry Ascyltos met me, but as tir’d as my self, and in a manner dead; you’d have sworn the same old woman brought him.  I could not forbear laughing, but having saluted each other, I ask’d what business he had in so scandalous a place?  He wip’d his face, and “if you knew,” said he, “what has happened to me—­” “As what?” quoth I.

He faintly reply’d “When I had rov’d the whole city without finding where I had left the inn, the master of this house came up to me, and kindly profer’d to be my guide; so through many a cross lane and blind turning, having brought me to this house, he drew his weapon and prest for a closer ingagement.  In this affliction the whore of the cell also demanded garnish-money; and he laid such hands on me, that had I not been too strong for him, I had gone by the worst of it.”

While Ascyltos was telling his tale, in come the same fellow, with a woman, none of the least agreeable, and looking upon Ascyltos, entreated him to walk in and fear nothing, for if he would not be passive he might be active:  the woman on the other hand press’d me to go in with her.  We follow’d therefore, and being led among those bills, we saw many of both sexes at work in the cells, so much every of them seem’d to have taken a provocative.

Nor were we sooner discover’d than they wou’d have been at us with the like impudence, and in a trice one of them, his coat tuck’d under his girdle, laid hold on Ascyltos, and threw him athwart a couch:  I presently ran to help the undermost, and putting our strengths together, we made nothing of the troublesome fool.  Ascyltos went off, and flying, left me expos’d to the fury; but, thanks to my strength, I got off without hurt.